Man accused in Needham murder found incompetent to stand trial

Monday

Jun 23, 2008 at 12:01 AMJun 23, 2008 at 10:17 PM

After a second psychiatric evaluation, William Dunn, the Norwood contractor accused in the Nov. 2 murder of Robert Moore Sr. of Elmwood Road, was found incompetent to stand trial, leaving his criminal case in limbo.

Steven Ryan

After a second psychiatric evaluation, William Dunn, the Norwood contractor accused in the Nov. 2 murder of Robert Moore Sr. of Elmwood Road, was found incompetent to stand trial, leaving his criminal case in limbo.

A hearing will be held on the status of his competency on Dec. 2, at which time it will again be determined if he is ready to stand trial.

“It was determined by the psychiatrist that he is not competent to stand trial,” attorney Robert Griffin said June 23, while leaving Dedham Superior Court, where the hearing was held.

Griffin said Dunn will be evaluated again after a one-year period, if he is again found incompetent to stand trial in December. Dunn had been held for psychiatric evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital, where he was committed following the hearing, for more than three months.

“The criminal case is held in advance until such time when he is competent,” Griffin said. “If and when that happens is anybody’s guess.”

Dunn was in court for the hearing, with his hands and feet in cuffs. He mostly looked down, while occasionally glancing toward the back of the courtroom. One of Robert Moore Sr.’s sons, Robert Moore Jr., of Needham, came to the hearing.

“Obviously, my wife [Nancy] and I disappointed,” Robert Moore Jr. said. “He’s only prolonging the inevitable. He’ll have his day in court and he’ll be convicted, I’m sure.”

Dunn is accused of beating 78-year-old Robert Moore Sr. to death before turning on the man's daughter-in-law, Nancy Moore, in the family's Needham home last November.

Dunn worked for Mass Irrigation Co. Inc. and was installing sprinklers at Moore's Elmwood Road home. Authorities say he beat Robert Moore to death with a baseball bat in the basement.

Nancy Moore reportedly walked in as Dunn was cleaning the murder scene. He attacked Nancy Moore and left her in the basement, where her 20-year-old son, Jamie Moore, who had been painting the outside of the house, found her, authorities said.

Nancy Moore was rushed to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and survived the attack.

Dunn has been indicted on charges of murder, armed assault with intent to murder, mayhem, assault with intent to murder or maim, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and assault causing serious bodily harm.

If convicted, he could face a life sentence without parole.

Steven Ryan can be reached at sryan@cnc.com.

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